Did you know that narcissus and hyacinths have a sap that is toxic to other flowers? If added to an arrangement, the sap will kill all other plants they share water with. So how do I create that quintessential spring arrangement?
Spring is for laying the foundation for a bountiful summer harvest. For sowing the seeds for a slower life. For taking time to appreciate all the waking days of spring has to offer. Lay the groundwork in your growing space with the following spring gardening tasks:
Ahhh...the question as old as time itself. Exactly what is “pinching” and what varieties of herbs and flowers should you pinch? Pinching, quite simply, is the practice of snipping off the top few inches of a young plant. But why?
Well, it’s official. We’ll never buy artificial store-bought dye packs again. We naturally dyed our flock’s eggs this year and are blown away by the gorgeous variations of rich, vibrant colors and textures.
Each year, I document in a garden journal all the details about what I grew, harvested, and enjoyed most. I write down my failures and well as my successes. What I fell in love with and want to grow more of, as well as what doesn’t make the cut for the next growing year or doesn’t grow well on our property’s unique microclimate. Garden journaling is a calming therapeutic process that I truly enjoy.
During our garden and botany homeschool unit, which was held every morning outside at our big table in the middle of our garden, we read the book, How Does My Garden Growby Gerda Muller. Within a few pages, it had inspired all three of my children to ask for their own garden plots and wanted to sow seeds right then.
Raising wool animals for fiber is an age-old tradition and one we were excited to take on when we moved to a larger property. In this journal article, I explain my process for shearing and washing the wool to be used for fiber crafts, knitting and crochet.
Calendula(Calendula officinalis) is well-known and most widely used for its anti-inflammatory properties, helping sooth skin irritations and heal wounds. It is also a pain reducer. The beautiful colorful petals of calendula are not only edible, but rich in flavonoids. It is mild and safe to be used topically on children.
A member of the mint family, with over 15 different species, bee balm has a long history of medicinal uses. It prevents infection by constraining the growth of infectious agents. It is also used as
There’s nothing like the fragrant aroma of your own handmade herbal wreath to great you at your front door everyday. The style wreath I made is simple yet beautiful and can be hung inside your home or outdoors.
There is a bit of a shift in momentum here in our growing space and grow-along project. For weeks we were busy gathering supplies, sowing, and watching for seedlings to emerge. Taking them off heat, setting up shop lights and nursing our tiny little sprouts into full-fledged seedlings with multiple sets of true leaves. But now, our seedlings are off heat, robust, and it's time to take a deep breath and relax.
Growing plants from seed is such a rewarding experience for so many reasons. There is peace of mind in knowing where your seeds came from, what kind of soil mixture they grew in, and that they were not treated with chemicals or pesticides. But growing from seed can be tricky too. There are so many factors that contribute to growing successfully from seed. Below are a few tips and tricks based on my own personal experiences growing from seed that I hope will help you along your growing journey.
Did you know that narcissus and hyacinths have a sap that is toxic to other flowers? If added to an arrangement, the sap will kill all other plants they share water with. So how do I create that quintessential spring arrangement?
Spring is for laying the foundation for a bountiful summer harvest. For sowing the seeds for a slower life. For taking time to appreciate all the waking days of spring has to offer. Lay the groundwork in your growing space with the following spring gardening tasks:
Ahhh...the question as old as time itself. Exactly what is “pinching” and what varieties of herbs and flowers should you pinch? Pinching, quite simply, is the practice of snipping off the top few inches of a young plant. But why?
Well, it’s official. We’ll never buy artificial store-bought dye packs again. We naturally dyed our flock’s eggs this year and are blown away by the gorgeous variations of rich, vibrant colors and textures.
Each year, I document in a garden journal all the details about what I grew, harvested, and enjoyed most. I write down my failures and well as my successes. What I fell in love with and want to grow more of, as well as what doesn’t make the cut for the next growing year or doesn’t grow well on our property’s unique microclimate. Garden journaling is a calming therapeutic process that I truly enjoy.
During our garden and botany homeschool unit, which was held every morning outside at our big table in the middle of our garden, we read the book, How Does My Garden Grow by Gerda Muller. Within a few pages, it had inspired all three of my children to ask for their own garden plots and wanted to sow seeds right then.
Raising wool animals for fiber is an age-old tradition and one we were excited to take on when we moved to a larger property. In this journal article, I explain my process for shearing and washing the wool to be used for fiber crafts, knitting and crochet.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is well-known and most widely used for its anti-inflammatory properties, helping sooth skin irritations and heal wounds. It is also a pain reducer. The beautiful colorful petals of calendula are not only edible, but rich in flavonoids. It is mild and safe to be used topically on children.
A member of the mint family, with over 15 different species, bee balm has a long history of medicinal uses. It prevents infection by constraining the growth of infectious agents. It is also used as
There’s nothing like the fragrant aroma of your own handmade herbal wreath to great you at your front door everyday. The style wreath I made is simple yet beautiful and can be hung inside your home or outdoors.
There is a bit of a shift in momentum here in our growing space and grow-along project. For weeks we were busy gathering supplies, sowing, and watching for seedlings to emerge. Taking them off heat, setting up shop lights and nursing our tiny little sprouts into full-fledged seedlings with multiple sets of true leaves. But now, our seedlings are off heat, robust, and it's time to take a deep breath and relax.
Growing plants from seed is such a rewarding experience for so many reasons. There is peace of mind in knowing where your seeds came from, what kind of soil mixture they grew in, and that they were not treated with chemicals or pesticides. But growing from seed can be tricky too. There are so many factors that contribute to growing successfully from seed. Below are a few tips and tricks based on my own personal experiences growing from seed that I hope will help you along your growing journey.
